Transference and countertransference are important concepts in the field of psychology, particularly in the practice of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Both terms refer to the ways in which a patient's feelings and behaviors towards their therapist may be influenced by their past experiences and relationships.
Transference occurs when a patient directs their feelings and behaviors towards their therapist that are actually based on past relationships or experiences. For example, a patient may become overly reliant on their therapist or become romantically attracted to them because they remind the patient of a past romantic partner. Transference can also involve negative feelings, such as anger or resentment, towards the therapist that are based on past relationships or experiences.
Countertransference, on the other hand, refers to the feelings and behaviors that a therapist has towards their patient that are influenced by their own past experiences and relationships. For example, a therapist may become overly involved with a patient's problems because they remind the therapist of their own personal struggles. Countertransference can also involve negative feelings towards the patient, such as anger or frustration, that are based on the therapist's own past experiences.
Both transference and countertransference can have a significant impact on the therapeutic relationship and the effectiveness of treatment. In psychoanalysis, the therapist may work with the patient to help them become aware of their transference and how it is influencing their relationship with the therapist. In psychotherapy, the therapist may work with the patient to help them understand and manage their feelings and behaviors in a healthy way.
It is important for therapists to be aware of and manage their own countertransference in order to maintain a professional and effective therapeutic relationship. This can involve seeking supervision or therapy to help the therapist better understand and manage their own feelings and behaviors towards their patients.
In conclusion, transference and countertransference are important concepts in the field of psychology that involve the ways in which a patient's feelings and behaviors towards their therapist, and the therapist's feelings and behaviors towards their patient, are influenced by past experiences and relationships. Understanding and managing these dynamics can be an important part of effective psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.
Transference & Countertransference: Definition & Examples
If your therapist has been overtly harmful or unprofessional, considering another option may be best. The goal of transference-focused therapy is to help people with BPD reflect on their emotions and give them more control over how they respond to these emotions. Being mindful of your own feelings according to your personal experiences and how you are reacting to other people who are unrelated to those experiences. Reaction and reflection Reaction might be called therapist acting-out. She might project her feelings of frustration over the attempts to convince her own child to do his homework, onto her child client. What could be helpful or a teaching moment in the way I say it to this client? Freud and Breuer 1895 described transference as the deep, intense, and unconscious feelings that develop in therapeutic relationships with patients. If the patient cannot always recognise the professional nature of the relationship, it is important that the therapist and team can hold on to it.
What is transference and countertransference? Explained by FAQ Blog
The four basic components of psychoanalytic technique and derived psychoanalytic psychotherapies. Or, if a patient is feeling negatively towards their therapist, the therapist may start to feel the same way. Continual self-reflection Explore feelings toward individual clients, and write down ways you are consciously or unconsciously reacting to them in session. This is where the client will treat other people, or their counselor, according to their own ideas of that person as opposed to who they really are to the client. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry.
Transference vs. Countertransference in Nursing
She tells him that she feels very depressed because people do not like her when they get to know her. Pallipedia does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services; therefore, their mention cannot be construed as such. Countertransference is when a therapist projects their own emotions and thoughts onto their patient. So specifically in nursing, it is when a patient will view the nurse as someone who is similar to an important person in their life. We may observe countertransference occurring when we have a strong emotional reaction towards a client. This is characteristic of some more rigid kinds of personality, including people with borderline personality features, where the person often has difficulty in distinguishing what is expected from the internal model and what is perceived in the external world Reference KernbergKernberg, 1994. Attachment is the deep and enduring emotional It is characterized by specific childhood behaviors such seeking proximity to an attachment figure when upset or threatened, and is developed in the first few years of life Bowlby, 1969.
